Amelia Kerr scored an unbeaten 179 to help New Zealand complete the highest successful women’s one-day international run chase as they beat South Africa by two wickets in Wellington.
South Africa had posted a formidable 346 for six in the second match of the ODI series, helped by Anneke Bosch’s swift 91 along with half-centuries by captain Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon.
After New Zealand were 21 for one, Kerr amassed 23 fours and one six from 139 balls, with Izzy Gaze having contributed 68, to see her side home at 350 for eight with two balls left.
India held the previous record, having chased down a 338 target against Australia in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Cup.
It was not, however, Kerr’s ODI high score – the leg-spinning all-rounder previously slammed 232* against Ireland in 2018, though rated this as her best knock.
“I was really calm out there and just was so focused on, I guess, simplifying it to each over and where we needed to be to get the job done,” she said after squaring the three-match series
“And then it kind of got to like 20 [22] off 15 or whatever it was, and you start to think how cool would this be if we won. But again, I probably didn’t have those thoughts till that moment in the game and just had to bring myself back to the present moment rather than thinking this could be really cool, making sure I get the job done.
“I thought because I was pretty calm that I wouldn’t show too much emotion. But when I did hit the winning runs, I was actually pretty fizzed. And I guess it shows how much it means to me. I’m a pretty relaxed character with celebrations and all that stuff. But that was special. I think to get a big hundred like that but in a big chase against a quality side, it’s, yeah, definitely No. 1.”
PA
